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Take Control of iCloud, Sixth Edition

Understand iCloud’s capabilities and limitations, and put its key features to good use!

iCloud is a simple idea in theory—access to all your data on all your devices, via the cloud—that can become complicated when put into practice. Instead of wasting time fiddling with iCloud, when there are many other more important things to be done with the information it contains, learn how to minimize frustrations with Take Control of iCloud, Sixth Edition!

Whether you want a quick tip or a deep dive into the inner workings of iCloud, you’ll find what you need in this best-selling book by Mac expert Joe Kissell. Start by learning what iCloud can do, how it differs from other cloud services, and how best to set it up on Macs, iOS devices, Apple TVs, and Windows-based PCs.

Joe also looks at what has changed in iCloud with the release of macOS 10.14 Mojave and iOS 12, including the removal of Back to My Mac, syncing for News, Stocks, Home, and Voice Memos, and the revamped Shared Albums feature in Photos—plus Messages in iCloud (for syncing iMessage and SMS messages), added in iOS 11.4 and 10.13.5 High Sierra.

What's New

What’s New in the Sixth Edition

Version 6.1 of this book is a relatively small update to cover a few changes in iCloud that have occurred since the previous version of the book was released in October 2017, and to make a handful of other corrections and improvements. This book now includes coverage of macOS 10.14 Mojave and iOS 12, plus the following significant changes:

Added mentions of additional Apple apps that now sync using iCloud in Mojave and iOS 12: News, Stocks, Home, and Voice Memos

In “About Your Apple ID,” referenced a new book, Take Control of Your Apple ID, by Glenn Fleishman

In “Set Up iCloud on an iOS Device,” clarified which devices support the Wallet feature

Explained in “Use iCloud Family Sharing” that in-app purchases cannot be shared within a family

Updated the chapter “Manage Your Photos” to cover the feature now named Shared Albums (called iCloud Photo Sharing in High Sierra and earlier, iOS 11 and earlier, and Windows)

Added a note in “Activate iCloud Drive” about syncing System Preferences

Expanded the topic “Enable Desktop & Documents Folder Syncing” to describe in greater detail the steps to follow if you enable this feature on multiple Macs, and updated “Disable Desktop & Documents Folder Syncing” with more details as well

Added a discussion about backing up files from iCloud Drive locally, and using the Unclouder app, to the sidebar “iCloud Drive and Backups”

Clarified in “Use In-App Data Syncing” and “Sync Your Contacts” that Mail’s VIPs and previous recipients sync as part of Contacts

In “Use Mail Drop,” noted that POP accounts aren’t supported

Added a description of how iMessage/SMS sync now works

Rewrote significant portions of the chapter “Work with iCloud Keychain” to cover new behavior in current versions of Safari

Included a warning in “Activate Find My Device” about a simple way an attacker could potentially disable Find My Mac

Noted in “Use Back to My Mac” that this feature has been removed from Mojave

The sixth edition covered changes in macOS 10.13 High Sierra and iOS 11, as well as significant feature changes in the iCloud service itself since the previous edition of the book was published in late 2016. Numerous topics were added and, in some cases, rearranged or rewritten—and there were hundreds of changes throughout the book. Here are the highlights:

Explained what’s new in iCloud since the last edition of this book; see “iCloud Feature Changes”

Updated “About iCloud Storage” and “Upgrade Your Storage” to reflect the new pricing for the 2 TB tier and the removal of the 1 TB tier

Added a topic, “Share Storage Space,” that explains how to share additional (paid) iCloud storage space with your family members

Updated “iCloud Photo Library” to mention that it now syncs the People album

Replaced the discussion of the iCloud Drive app for iOS with coverage of the new Files app, including how to share files stored in iCloud Drive; see “Use the Files App for iOS”

Added topics to cover new types of data you can now (or soon) sync via iCloud; see “Sync Health and Siri” and “Sync Messages”

Brought the information in “Work with iCloud Keychain” up to date with the latest setup and usage instructions, including how to use credentials from iCloud Keychain in apps other than Safari

Added AirPods to the list of devices you can find with “Find My Nouns” and mentioned that you can use iCloud to pair them, and then play sound to them, from your Apple TV in “Set Up iCloud Account Features”

Changed “Check Activation Lock” to explain the new procedure that’s now required to do this

FAQ

What are the software and hardware requirements for this ebook?

For the most part, this book assumes your operating system(s) are macOS 10.13 High Sierra, iOS 11 or later, Windows 10 or later, and Apple TV software version 7.2.1 or later (fourth-generation Apple TV or Apple TV 4K). Although it occasionally calls attention to differences in operating systems, it doesn’t provide detailed instructions for using iCloud with older software.

Reader Comments

“I just read Take Control of iCloud cover to cover, and it helped me sort out several problems and clear up my confusion on how iCloud works with my iMac, MacBook, iPad, and iPhone. Your book has helped me get more out of my devices, and I can see it’ll make my life easier. Thanks for a job very well done!” —Andy Staab

“Brilliant and concise information on using current iCloud systems. I love Take Control books—they teach me how to make the most of my Apple stuff in the real world.” —Brian Murray

“As someone who hadn’t invested a lot of time in setting up iCloud before, I found this book very informative—particularly the information about managing multiple iCloud accounts and the Photos section. Thanks!” —Kelly

Update Plans

November 28, 2018—This book has now been updated to cover Mojave and iOS 12. If and when further significant new changes occur in iCloud, we’ll consider whether an additional update is required.

Because Apple’s new wireless AirPod earbuds lack cabling, they are easy to misplace. Although the best method for keeping track of them may be to place them in their charging case whenever you remove them from your ears, it’s safe to say that many people aren’t going to do that, or even if they do, they’ll lose the case.

To solve this problem, with the release of iOS 10.3, Apple has added AirPods to the list of devices that you can track using Find My iPhone. You can see them on a map and make a sound play on both your AirPods or just one — just one is helpful if you’ve lost only one. If your AirPods are out of range of their paired iOS device, you’ll get information about where and when they were last within range. You can search from the Find My iPhone iOS app or from Find My iPhone on the iCloud Web site.

Take Control publisher Joe Kissell has written more than 60 books about technology, including many popular Take Control books. He also runs Interesting Thing of the Day and is a contributing editor of TidBITS and a senior contributor to Macworld.

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